Swooping season starts early in Broken Hill

The annual war between Broken Hill's citizens and magpies has begun early this year.

Experts suspect the early warm weather has encouraged local birds to nest sooner than normal.

That means aerial home protection patrols have begun in August for birds rather than the usual September.

One known hotspot is the corner of Williams Lane and Sulphide Street near the hospital, where resident Courtney Mitchell says she and her family must resort to extraordinary measures to combat the blitz.

"My little sisters have to wear bags on their heads so they wont get attacked," she said.

Julianne Doyle from National Parks and Wildlife says there are other meagres victims may like to try.

"There's a few simple steps that you can take, such as wearing a broad-brimmed hat, putting sunglasses on backwards hold a trick still above your head so you look much taller and threatening so they might not swoop you," she said.

Ms Doyle from says early warm temperatures have brought forward the nesting season when birds become territorially aggressive, picking their targets with extreme prejudice.

"They can be very specific about whom they deem as threatening," she said.

"Some tend to love older ladies with a blue rinse, I don't know why."

Ms Doyle says it could be October before Broken Hill is given the all-clear.